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Recommended because this is an investigative documentary about the international trade in women, and includes new material from Global Survival Network’s two-year undercover investigation into the traffic in women for prostitution out of Russia. This video includes undercover footage of meetings with the Russian mafia, interviews with women who were trafficked overseas and perspectives from experts from around the world about how to address the problem. Be aware of the fact that this film is available for loan from the Russian and East European Institute at Indiana University (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-85Slavic and Eastern Europe-7309), not clear where it may be purchased.

Recommended because it sheds light on a widespread phenomenon of racism in Central Europe. Ironically, the Gypsies or Roma of Eastern Europe, a people historically persecuted, were protected under the communist system; the disintegration of that system has opened the floodgates of a repressed hatred. In this program, ABC News correspondent Chris Bury looks at an age-old prejudice that has resurfaced in such countries as Hungary and the Czech Republic. Inheriting a legacy of discrimination end even slavery, the Roma, as this profile shows, are an ethnic group with the lowest education levels and highest welfare rates in Europe. Be aware of the fact that this film is available for loan from the Russian and East European Institute at Indiana University (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-85Slavic and Eastern Europe-7309), not clear where it may be purchased.

Recommended because this PBS broadcast provides a first-hand look at the reality of what happened to the people of the former Czechoslovakia in the first three years of democracy. The film follows the lives of five different families and individuals (58 minutes). Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-85Slavic and Eastern Europe-7309).

Recommended because of the perspectives of this documentary on Anna Akhmatova (1888-1966), Russian poet adored by her countrymen and called by them “the soul of our time.” Her life and work bridged the country’s Tsarist and Revolutionary periods. Refusing to lend her prestige to Stalin’s rule, she was expelled from the Soviet Writers’ Union and for years suffered desperately. This program presents an overview of her life and work by Irene Moore, a founder of the American Stanislavsky Theater, who recites Akhmatova’s poetry in Russian; and two academics who have written extensively on Akhmatova: Samuel Driver, professor at Brown University, and Irene Kirk, professor at the University of Connecticut. Also featured are many photographs of Akhmatova and her world. Kirk, one of the last Westerners to see the poet alive, tells of their meeting and of Akhmatova’s secret book in her Moscow library where she kept notes of things she wanted to remember (28 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $90.

Recommended because this is a feature film on the Holocaust in Eastern Europe. Based on the story by Arnost Lustig, this film is about two Czech Jewish boys who escape from a train which is transporting them from one concentration camp to another. Ultimately they are hunted down by a group of senile home guards. The film goes beyond the theme of war and anti-Nazism and concerns itself with man’s struggle to preserve human dignity. Directed by Jan Nemec (B&W, 64 min). In Czech with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $60.

Recommended because this wry, intimate, award-winning portrait of a family was filmed in Prague shortly after the fall of Communism. It examines the effects of this historic transformation through the eyes of a young American of Czech descent and his Czech relations, as they come to terms with the values of capitalism. English and Czech with English subtitles (81 minutes). Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $50.

Recommended because this film enables the viewer to discover a nation with a reputation for Slavic hospitality and a rich tradition of courage and resilience. Journey to Warsaw, tour the palatial Royal Castle and the magnificent baroque Wilanow Palace, called the Polish Versailles. Visit Warsaw’s Lazienki Park and its monument to the composer, Frederic Chopin. Marvel at Malbork Castle, one of Europe’s largest medieval fortresses, then follow the Wisla River to charming Torun, birthplace of Copernicus, the father of astronomy. Tour the port city of Gdansk, birthplace of the Solidarity Trade Union, see its fine Gothic churches and the exquisite mansions along the Royal Route. Stop at Wroclaw, the city of bridges, then travel down the picturesque Trail of Eagles’ Nests where ruined castles crown the highlands. Discover Cracow, the seat of Polish kings. Relax in the arcaded court of graceful Wawel Royal Castle and pause in Wawel Cathedral whose Cardinal became Pope John Paul II (31 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), but apparently out of print.

Recommended because this is an episode from the Discovery Channel series, The Travelers,” aimed for schoolchildren. Patrick, Robin, and Foster visit one of Europe’s most beautiful and well-preserved cities–Prague, Czech Republic. They hunt for mushrooms, stroll the picturesque Charles Bridge full of artists, jugglers, and hippies, and venture backstage and learn the secrets of Black Light Theatre (55 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), but apparently out of print.

Recommended because this is a biography of the great Russian composer and pianist who lived from 1874-1943, and who left Russia in 1917, never to return (30 minutes). In English. Part of the “Great Composer series,” available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20.

Recommended because this film is set in a remote Slovak village during the waning days of World War II, this riveting film by Jiri Weiss is recommended as a probing moral study of heroism. “Who is a hero?” asks Weiss, “the man who sits at home and does nothing or the man who is always ready to fight for a cause?” A school teacher and his young wife find a wounded Russian parachutist in their front yard just as the Germans occupy the village. As the wife readily becomes involved with the anti-Nazi partisans, the school teacher collaborates with the Germans, but at the end of his humiliation, finds the courage to save his honor and the innocent victims of the Nazis. Directed by Jiri Weiss (B&W, 113 minutes). In Slovak with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $30.

Recommended because this is a great film for viewing Czech life in the last years of the communist government, culminating in the overthrow of socialism. A confirmed bachelor is in for the surprise of his life when a get-rich-quick scheme backfires, setting off a wild set of circumstances, and leaving him with a pint-sized new roommate. Now, with a mischievous five year old named Kolya suddenly in his care, life in this once carefree playboy’s tiny apartment changes faster than he could ever imagine. Winner of the 1996 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Directed by Jan Sverak, stars Zdenek Sverak, Andrej Chalimon and Libuse Safrankova (105 minutes). In Czech with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20.

Recommended because this is a multi-denominational overview of the history of Christianity in Ukraine set in the context of the liturgical, iconographic, architectural, and spiritual treasures of Eastern Christianity. An excellent introduction to Ukrainian culture and history. Produced in Canada (53 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Yevshan for $26.

Recommended because the legendary Czech conductor rehearses and performs Smetana’s The Moldau with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. This 1969 CBC television production was made just before Ancerl assumed his post as director of the Toronto Symphony. (57 minutes). Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $30.

Recommended because this is a biography of the Russian composer who lived from 1844 to 1908, and creator of such masterpieces as Scheherazade and the Russian Easter Overture (30 minutes). In English. Part of the “Great Composer series,” available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20.

Recommended because this film, which is set during the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia during World War Two, is a tragi-comedy about a Slovak carpenter who is offered the job of “Aryan controller” of a button shop owned by an elderly Jewish lady. After an unlikely friendship develops between them, the “controller” is forced to choose between protecting his helpless friend from her persecutors or saving his own skin. 1965 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film, directed by Jan Kadar (128 minutes). In Slovak with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $30.

Recommended because Ralph Fiennes, William Hurt, Rachel Weisz and Deborah Kara Unger star in this epic drama from Istvan Szabo. Main actor Fiennes plays three roles — father, son, and grandson in a Budapest family that struggles to survive the anti-Semitism that permeates the generations of each man. The film does a marvelous job of recreating the details of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Nazi and Communist eras in Hungary (180 minutes). Highly recommended. In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $96.

Recommended because it is part of the “Super Cities” series. The video is a travelogue-type portrayal of the Hungarian capital which delves into the city’s history and culture (30 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $10.

Recommended because the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe in 1989 brought the hope of political and economic freedom for millions. For some in that region, life has never been better. Others still mourn the passing of the security of life under communist rule. This film is recommended because students will have the opportunity to examine both sides of life in post-communist Eastern Europe. In doing so, students will be able to draw their own conclusions about the pros and cons of life in democratic and communist societies. A CNN production that includes a 13-page teachers’ curriculum guide (45 min). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), but apparently out of print.

Recommended because this is a biography of the Russian composer who lived from 1840-93, and whose most famous works include “The Nutcracker,” “1812 Overture,” Piano Concerto No. 1 and the Symphony No. 6 (“Pathetique”) (30 minutes). In English. Part of the “Great Composer series,” available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20.

Recommended because this is a feature film on the early Soviet secret police. In 1917, secret police from the KGB forerunner, C.H.E.K.A., unleashed a reign of terror on all those considered enemies of the revolution. A Cheka officer interrogates, judges and then executes a wide variety of people who cannot fit into the new Soviet system, from Christians and Jews to former aristocrats. Very violent, but unfortunately, also very realistic (165 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $40.

Recommended because this is a documentary on skinheads and racism in immediate post-Communist Czechoslovakia. Contains extensive footage of skinheads who describe their outlook and reasons for hating gypsies, blacks and other groups (28 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from The Video Project for $125.

Recommended because this is a feature film that sheds light on what life was like in Stalinist Russia. He was neither a soldier nor a spy, but the KGB made Ivan Sanshin an eyewitness to history. For 50 years he has waited to tell his true story. Like their countrymen, Ivan and his beautiful young wife Anastasia idolized their leader, Joseph Stalin. But when Ivan is hired to become the Kremlin film projectionist, they see the brutal truth behind the dictator’s propaganda. Alternatively protected and menaced by the lecherous head of the KGB, Ivan and Anastasia are asked to betray everything they hold dear–their ideals, their foster child, even each other. Directed by Andrei Konchalovsky (139 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), but apparently out of print.

Recommended because this is a feature film on persecution of Jews in Eastern Europe under the Nazis. In German-occupied Czechoslovakia, a young couple provides shelter to a Jewish neighbor, taking extreme and sometimes comical measures to protect him and themselves. Petr Jarchovsky, with director Jan Hrebejk, adapted his own novel for this Oscar-nominated feature (122 minutes). In Czech with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $15.

Recommended because this film is animated, part of the “Rabbit Ears” series of children’s stories. This ia a Russian legend about an archer named Ivan and his inseperable companion, the Horse of Power. When Ivan brings a golden feather from the Firebird to the Tsar, he is ordered to present the entire bird, or lose his life. Then he is commanded to retrieve the princess Vassilisa from the end of the earth so that the Tsar might marry her. When the archer Ivan falls in love with the princess, he and the Horse of Power must find a way to thwart the Tsar. Narrated by Susan Sarandon, original music by Mark Isham, animation done in Russia (30 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20.

Recommended because this documentary gives the story of Ukraine from the founding of Kiev to the recent Declaration of Independence as told by Roman Onufrijchuk, writer and lecturer with the Department of Communications, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada, enhanced with colorful visuals, anecdotes, pathos, humor, and music. Produced as a Centennial Project by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (150 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), but apparently out of print.

Recommended because this is the story of a group of Russian high school students in a provincial city. The setting is the year 1940 and the idealistic young students must confront the paranoiac atmosphere that prevailed in the Soviet Union in the wake of the Great Purges. A well-made film, a poignant drama highly recommended for private viewing, but also well-suited for classroom use to give students a sense of life under the repressive Stalinist system. Based on the story by Boris Vasiliev, directed by Yuri Kara (83 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), but not available commercially.

Recommended because in this film, relatives, friends, and professional associates examine the life and works of the Russian-born novelist and critic. Nabokov, who began his literary career as a poet, is perhaps best known for his controversial work on Nikolai Gogol. Writing extensively both in Russian and English, his intricate, stylish literary effects and unorthodox structure are apparent in works including Pale Fire and The Gift. Excerpts from these and other novels reinforce the core thesis of his entire body of fiction: the problem of art itself, presented in various figurative disguises. BBC production (53 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write Keisel.1@osu.edu), or for purchase from Films for the Humanities for $90.

Recommended because its insights into the culture of Uzbekistan. Habiba is a Tabib, a Muslim healer. She belongs to the earliest Sufi “Chain of Mystic Transmission,” a lineage of teachers whose main representative is a great master, Bahaudin Nacksband. Uzbekistan is a dream-like land, a crossroad of Western and Eastern civilization along the Silk Road (30 minutes). Available from Facets Multimedia for $25.

Recommended because in this film one sees the surprisingly abundant wildlife of the deserts of Central Asia, which cover an area larger than the whole of Western Europe and contain a nature reserve that springs to life when melting snows bring poppy fields and pistachio groves to life (60 min). A BBC production from about 1990. Available from Facets Mulitmedia for $30.

Recommended because this video describes the little-known country of Tajikistan. The Pamirs are a formidably high mountain range in the Central Asian nation of Tajikistan. Kashgar is a Muslim town which can be seen caught up in the riotous celebration greeting the end of Ramadan. Here master craftsmen still transform silk and wood into precious commodities prized the world over. Finally, a Tajik wedding party shows the people of this often overlooked region engaged in an intimate ceremony which everyone can understand and enjoy (55 minutes). Part of the series, “The Silk Road,” available from Facets Multimedia for $30.

Recommended because world renowned expert on Russian architecture, William Brumfield, Professor of Russian Studies, Tulane University, lectures on the architectural background and various influences leading to the design and construction of the Cathedral of Vassili the Blessed on Red Square in Moscow (better known as St. Basil’s). The slides presented were taken by William Brumfield (108 minutes). In English. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to: Keisel.1@osu.edu). Not available commercially.

Recommended because this is a fine documentary (in English) on the famed Hermitage art Museum of St. Petersburg, Russia, and its treasures. Much of the film is a history of the construction of the city of St. Petersburg and the Winter Palace, so it provides a good introduction to Russian history from Peter the Great to Catherine the Great. Very well done with an emphasis on the exotic and valuable treasures found in the Hermitage (56 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to: Keisel.1@osu.edu). Also may be purchased from Amazon.com for $19.95

Recommended because this is the A&E channel biography of Grigory Rasputin, notorious confidant to the Empress Alexandra in the last years of the Romanov dynasty leading up to the Revolution of 1917. The official description of this program is “He was called a lustful mad monk who preached the word of God but practiced every form of evil. Accused of hypnotizing the tsar and seducing the tsarina, the truth about Rasputin is even stranger and more moving that the legend of the Satanic monk” (55 minutes). Available by free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic & East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to: Keisel.1@osu.edu) apparently out of print.

Recommended because this is as an investigation into the security of the Russian nuclear arsenal, with interviews of Russian and US military commanders and scientists about the potential for catastrophe in the former Soviet Union. Russian military officers also reveal how nuclear suitcase bombs may have gone missing, only to reappear later on the international black market (60 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu); apparently out of print. Be aware of the fact that there is a very fine website as a supplement to the documentary film.

Recommended because this is a biography of the last Soviet leader, from the A&E “Biography” series. Gorbachev’s drastic reforms led to the end of his nation as the world knew it. But ultimately, he was undone by his own success. Mikhail Gorbachev is one of the most compelling figures of the 20th century. The son of a mechanic from the Kuban, his vision to change his nation was shaped by his childhood experiences under Stalin’s rule. Biography interviewed the former Soviet President at length for this historic program. In it, Gorbachev recounts how he rose through the party ranks without betraying his radical visions for the future. Once in power, however, the changes were swift and sweeping. Extensive footage chronicles the turbulent years of his rule, from the first stirrings of Glasnost to the unsuccessful coup attempt that marked the last gasp of the old, hard-line leadership. And Soviet historians and political experts detail his world-changing legacy (55 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu); available from Amazon.com for $19.95.

Recommended because this is a documentary about the Kolyma forced-labor camp in the Soviet Union’s Far East. In operation from the early 1930s until the 1970s, this camp was the scene of gold mining by political prisoners as well as common criminals. This documentary uses interviews with Kolyma survivors as well as archival film footage to describe the terrible conditions the camp inmates labored under (45 minutes). In Russian with an English voice-over narration. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu); available from Amazon.com for $9.98.

Recommended because this is a documentary from the Arts and Entertainment Channel “Biography International” series. Called treacherous, deluded, out-of-touch, insane, Lenin might have been a minor historical footnote but for the Russian Revolution which catapulted him into the headlines of the century. Newly opened, formerly secret Soviet files, reveal a clearer picture of the fanatical philosopher. Narrated by Peter Graves, with commentary by historians Nina Tumarkin, Robert Daniels, Arch Getty, and Robert Conquest (55 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu); available from Save2Much.com for $19.95.

Recommended because it helps bring to life the story of the Soviet Union during World War II. A drama of desperate battles and the tremendous fortitude of the Soviet people. Hosted by former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, this 10-hour program features never-before-seen Russian images, once-secret documents, and leading Russian historians to explore Russia from 1924 through 1953. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu).

Volume One: The Darkness Descends

Lenin dies and leaves behind a power struggle for the leadership of the Soviet empire. He also leaves a testament – a fatal warning against Stalin’s ambition. Nevertheless, Stalin rises to power and begins his war against the Soviet people: an assault on the peasantry and mysterious assassination of political rivals, and on the the eve of the war with Germany, his disasterous purge of the Red Army. (60 min).

The Hour Before Midnight

Hitler becomes ever more aggressive. In Spain, Fascism and Communism face each other for the first time, while the purges in the Soviet Union reach a crescendo. In foreign affairs, Stalin plans the most astounding about-face of the century. Hitler and Stalin become allies, leading to the invasion and partition of Poland (60 minutes).
Volume Two, Part One: The Goths Ride East

The Germans invade the Soviet Union, leading to chaos and confusion as the Red Army falls back. Stalin, paralyzed by the shock, retreats to his dacha. Minsk, Kiev and Smolensk fall. Stalin returns from hiding and signs the infamous Order 270, branding captured Soviet officers as traitors and committing their wives to forced labor. With the first snows, the Wehrmacht arrives at the gates of Moscow (60 min).

Volume Two, Part Two:Between Life and DeathThe Wehrmacht thrusts south towards the oil fields of the Caucasus. On pain of death, Stalin specifically prohibits any retreat on the battlefield. The formation of the infamous Penal Batallions starts and the battle for Stalingrad begins (60 minutes).

Volume Three, Part One:The Fight From Within

During the war in the occupied Soviet Union, many oppressed Soviet citizens welcome Hitler, but their enthusiasm is short-lived as his plans are revealed. The Partisan resistance begins without Stalin’s support. Then as he begins to accept the Partisans, he provides them with supplies (60 min).

Volume Four, Part One: The Citadel

During the spring stalemate, all eyes turn to Kursk. Soviet war production, now moved out of the reach of German bombers, increases dramatically. The Germans prepare to meet the Red Army on the plains of Kursk. This is the greatest tank battle in the history of warfare (60 min).

Volume Four, Part Two: 0 Dawn

1944 is the year of victories. After a 900-day siege, Leningrad is finally liberated. The Red Army pushes westward and begins to retake the territories occupied by the Germans for so long. Once again, Stalin has plans for the people who suffer under the occupation (60 minutes).

Volume Five, Part One: The Fall of the Swastika

Germany is now on the brink of defeat. As the Red Army approaches Berlin, Hitler mobilizes both young and old to defend the doomed city. With the fall of Berlin and the death of his old enemy, Stalin turns once again to the control of his own people (60 min).

Volume Five, Part Two: The Cult of Personality

Stalin is praised by his people for the victory he alone claims. As old age creeps up on him, Stalin’s obsessive paranoia continues the persecution of this people. His plans for territorial expansion are blocked by the threat of the atomic bomb. The Cold War prevails. In 1953, Stalin dies (60 minutes).

Recommended because this is a very good documentary on the history of Czechoslovakia from the Soviet invasion of 1968 to the election of Vaclav Havel in 1989 (23 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu); apparently out of print.

Recommended because this is a fine documentary on Czech history beginning with the Prague Spring and ending with the Soviet suppression (23 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu); apparently out of print.

Recommended because this CNN documentary (in English) is a very good history of the Cold War in twenty-four episodes. Narrated by Kenneth Branagh. Each segment is about 48 minutes long, and all episodes are described below. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or Keisel.1@osu.edu) or may be purchased from Amazon.com for $99.92. Be aware of the fact that each of the twenty-four episodes is described below, in alphabetical order: Episode One, Episode Two, etc.

Recommended because Khrushchev decides, with Castro’s agreement, to install short and medium range nuclear missiles in Cuba, only 90 miles from the U.S. The United States detects the missile sites and blockades the island. The superpowers confront each other; rather than embark on nuclear war, they each step back. Part of the CNN documentary series, “Cold War,” described above.

Recommended because Chinese communists win the longest civil war in 20th century history. Mao’s land reforms are popular, but in 1958 he embarks on a series of catastrophic changes. China maintains an increasingly uneasy relationship with the Soviet Union. In 1960 the Sino-Soviet split paves the way for President Nixon’s historic visit to Beijing. Part of the CNN documentary series, “Cold War,” described above.

Recommended because in Berlin, the American, British, and French sectors form a Western enclave in the Soviet zone of divided Germany. In June 1948, the Soviets blockade the city, but the Western allies successfully airlift in supplies. In August 1949, Soviet scientists explode an atomic bomb, establishing nuclear parity between the two superpowers. Part of the CNN documentary series, “Cold War,” described above.

Recommended because the fate of Germany remains unresolved. West Germany has been admitted to NATO. Within East Germany, Berlin is divided between East and West by an open border. Thousands seize the chance to flee the communist system. To keep their people in, the East Germans with Soviet backing, build their wall. Part of the CNN documentary series, “Cold War,” described above.

Recommended because though ideological enemies, the Soviet Union and the United States are allies against Hitler during World War II. At the end of the war, Europe is divided, and the one-time allies now confront each other. The United States has the atomic bomb. Part of the CNN documentary series, “Cold War,” described above.

Recommended because the superpowers use surrogates to wage ideological and often physical conflict. In 1967 and 1973, American backed Israel triumphs over Soviet-backed Egypt and Syria. In Africa, the Soviets exploit nationalist, anti-colonial struggles. The US supports South Africa in its battle against communism. Part of the CNN documentary series, “Cold War,” described above.

Recommended because this is a terrific introduction to the history, culture, and people of Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic and Slovakia). In this fairyland of medieval castles and architectural treasures, East meets West to weave a fascinating cultural tapestry. Uncover the valiant history that lies behind Czechoslovakia’s struggle for democracy, tour the capital city of Prague with its historic Old Town Square, the Prague Castle, and the St. Vitus cathedral. Explore the Abyss of Macocha, and lose yourself in the vast interconnecting tunnels of Punkva Cave. Hope for good weather for a cable car ride up the High Tatra mountains of Slovakia. Listen to the haunting staccato of the shepherd’s ancient fujara, and delight in the artistry of a contemporary puppet play. Experience this proud nation, and celebrate the awakening of its triumph and tradition (55 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or Keisel.1@osu.edu) or available from Amazon.com for $25.

Recommended because the United States has always regarded Latin America as its own backyard. Fearing the spread of communism, it seeks to destabilize leftist governments. In 1973, the CIA helps overthrow the Chilean President Salvador Allende. In the 1980s, it supports right-wing extremists in Nicaragua and El Salvador. Part of the CNN documentary series, “Cold War,” described above.

Recommended because throughout the 60s the US and the Soviet Union are locked in a nuclear stand-off. Each realizes that bombing the enemy could provoke retaliation and self-destruction. Nuclear strategy evolves into Mutual Assured Destruction, or MAD, in which both sides are guaranteed certain annihilation in the event of nuclear war. Part of the CNN documentary series, “Cold War,” described above.

Recommended because early CIA attempts to penetrate the Iron Curtain are thwarted. The US reacts with increasingly sophisticated technological intelligence–the U-2 spy plane, satellite reconnaissance, and electronic eavesdropping. Yet human spies remain important. Sometimes betrayers, sometimes betrayed, many spies pay with their lives. Part of the CNN documentary series, “Cold War,” described above.

Recommended because Reagan boosts US defense spending and proposes the Strategic Defense Initiative, an anti-missile system in space. New Premier Gorbachev knows the Soviets can’t match the US and wants to liberalize and reconstruct the economy. After summits in Geneva, Reykajavik and Washington, the leaders agree to drastic arms cuts. Part of the CNN documentary series, “Cold War,” described above.

Recommended because the Soviet Union dominates Eastern Europe. Churchill warns of the consequences. Stalin insists that the governments of the Soviet Union’s client states be pro-communist. Impoverished after the war, Great Britain opts out as a world power. The United States assumes the mantle of world leadership. Part of the CNN documentary series, “Cold War,” described above.

Recommended because this film tracks the building tension between the two superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States, from the post-WWII world of the 1940s through the 1960s, as the hope for post- war peace swiftly disintegrates into a “cold” war of competing ideologies between East and West. Interviews include the following subjects: meeting on the Elbe, refugees in Europe, Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill at Fulton, Nikita Khrushchev, propaganda wars, NATA, Berlin blockade, Korea, Hungarian uprising, Berlin Wall (60 minutes). Part of the “People’s Century” series. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or Keisel.1@osu.edu) or may be purchased from Amazon.com for $20.

Recommended because a common misperception about Soviet communism is that victims of the Communist regime were primarily members of the privileged upper classes. This movie shows that in some cases members of national groups — in this case Ukrainians — were also victims of communist repression. Specifically this film is recommended as a reenactment of the 19East Asia-33 famine in the Ukraine from the Ukrainian anti-Soviet perspective which views the famine as a deliberate policy of genocide directed against the Ukrainian people. Estimates of the number of Ukrainians who starved to death at this time range from five to ten million people. Produced at the Dovzhenko Film Studio Kyiv Ukraine (95 minutes). Availability: may be borrowed from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770; or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu); apparently out of print. Reviewed by Bill Wolf Ukraine (95 minutes). Availability: may be borrowed from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770; or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu); apparently out of print.

Recommended because this is one of only a very few videos that cover early Russian history. From the Viking expansion the first Russian dynasty, the Ruriks, was created. The rise of Muscovy and the later conquests of Siberia. In the17th century, under Peter the Great, St. Petersburg was built. Under Catherine the Great and her successors Russia developed into a power in the west. Peasant unrest led to the disintegration of the tsarist government. Part of “The World: A Television History” (26 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to: Keisel.1@osu.edu). Apparently no longer available commercially.

Recommended because this film gives students a vivid picture of how Communism came to its end in Europe. In 1991, the Communist Party lost control of the Soviet Union, the culmination of a process that had started in 1980 in the Polish shipyards at Gdansk. Eyewitnesses tell the story of how the Communist system that dominated post-war Eastern Europe collapsed as they remember the extraordinary weeks that preceded and followed the fall of the Berlin Wall; Poland’s fight for Solidarity; Czechoslovakia’s “Velvet Revolution”; Romania’s violent overthrow of communism; Gorbachev and perestroika, the August 1991 Putsch, and the collapse of the Soviet Union (60 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to: Keisel.1@osu.edu), or may be purchased from Amazon.com for $20.

Recommended because this video describes the overthrow of the Russian Provisional Government in 1917, by the revolutionary movement led by Vladimir Lenin. From the “History’s Turning Points” series, 1995 (30 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or write to: Keisel.1@osu.edu), or may be purchased from Ambrose Video as part of the 5 CD set for $395.